Sewing machine of the overseaming type



March 8, 1955 R. OLLEO, SR 2,703,540

- I SEWING MACHINE OF THE OVERSEAMING TYPE Filed Dec. 6, 1950 s Shets-Sheetl IN V EN TOR. RALPH QLLEO, SR.

AT QBLL Y March 8, 1955 R. OLLEO, SR 2,703,540

SEWING MACHINE OF THE OVERSEAMING TYPE Filed Dec. 6, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 F/E. Z

IN V EN TOR.

RALPH OLLEO, SR.

A T TORNE Y March 8 1955 QLLEQ, 5R 2,703,540

SEWING MACHINE OF THE OVERSEAMING TYPE Filed Dec. 6, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN V EN TOR.

ATTORNEY RALPH OLLEO, SR.

2,703,540 Ice Patented Mar. 8, 1955 SEWING MACHINE OF THE OVERSEAMING TYPE Ralph Olleo, Sn, Flushing, N. Y., assignor to R. Olleo & Sons Machine Company, a partnership Application December 6, 1950, Serial No. 199,440

16 Claims. (Cl. 112-16) This invention relates to improvements in sewing machines of the overseaming type, and is directed more particularly to the looper bar and the movement of the same, and to certain other improved features in such machines.

.In machines of this type, which are particularly adapted to stitch fur skins together and to stitch gloves and other articles where the seamed edges are exposed, the material is fed between a pair of horizontally aligned feed discs with the edges to be stitched uppermost.

A needle bar horizontally reciprocates a needle back and forth across the point of contact of the feeding discs and consequently, the needle passes through the material to be sewn. A looper device, moved in timed relation with the needle, enters and picks up the loop of thread at the needle on one side of the material, raises it, and carries it over the top of the material and down to a position on the other side of the material, where it positions or holds the loop to enable the needle to pass through the same as it begins its next forward stroke to complete the stitching and begin the formation of the succeeding stage. As soon as 'the needle begins to enter the loop, the looper drops it and as the needle stroke is completed, the looper returns to the first-mentioned side of the material to a position ready to pick up the next loop formed by the needle.

Since the trend in this art is to operate at higher and higher speeds, one of the principal objects of the invention is the provision in a machine of the aforementioned type, .in which the mass of the looper bar is minimized to reduce momentum, in which the bar is more rigidly supported to reduce vibration, and in which the mechanism for moving the looper bar is simplified.

This application is a continuation in part of my earlier application Serial No. 18,255, filed March 31, 1948, now Patent No. 2,603,173, July 15, 1952.

One object of the invention is the provision, in a machine of the overseaming type, of a simplified and more easily settable looper bar movement which is a combination of a swinging movement of the rear end of the bar, a second swinging movement at the front of the bar,.and an oscillating movement intermediate said swinging movements, the combination of the three providing the desired overall movement of said bar.

Another object of the invention is the provision, in a device of the character described, of two swinging movementsv and an oscillating movement therebetween, and the feature of making one of said swinging movements adjustable. on a vertical plane.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a pressure roller cooperating with the feed roller, said pressure roller being movable on the supporting frame on spaced parallel rods, and retracting means for said last roller acting substantially equally upon both rods.

Yet another object of the invention is the provision of a cooperative feed roller and pressure roller, wherein the latter is adjustably supported relative to the former along a line substantially parallel to. the needle.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art, upon a study of the following specification and the accompanying drawings.

Referring to the drawings, which are merely given by way of example to illustrate the invention:

Figure l is a front elevation of my new and improved machine;

Figure 2 is a right side elevation showing the relative arrangement of certain elements thereof, and showing my! equalized release of the pressure roller from the feed ro er;

Figure 3 is a view of the machine of Figure 1, as seen from above, after the cover plate has been removed;

Figure 4 is a sectional elevation taken along the line 4-4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a view, showing the relative positions of the looper bar'mechanism in several positions alongits path of movement; and V Figure 6 is a perspective view of my improved looper and the cooperative mechanism for moving the same.

Referring first to Figures 1 to 3 inclusive, the machine includes a hollow casing '10 which has a right side wall 11, a left side wall 12, a rear wall 13 and a front wall 14, each forming an integral part of the casing 10. The

upper end or the casing 10 is open, and is provided with a closure plate 16, which is secured on to the casing in any suitable manner.

The wall 11 has formed integral therewith a boss'17, and the wall 12 carries a boss '13, and these bosses have formed therein respectively, aligned bearing holes 19 and 20 in which a main shaft 21 is journaled. Secured on the shaft 21 adjacent to the boss 17 is ahand wheel 22 which carries a pulley groove 23. On the other end, the shatt 21 carries a second hand wheel 24.

A needle bar 28 is reciprocally carried in the walls 13 and 14 and carries a yoke member 27 which includes spaced parallel downwardly extending faces which coop erate with an eccentric 25, which has a hub 26 secured to the main shaft 21; The needle bar carries on the front end a block member 29 into which the needle 307is clamped. Reciprocaily mounted in the block 29 is a thread pressure imposing member 31 carrying a spring 32 which urges it to the right, as seen in Figure 3, and which is cammed to the left by the camrning surface 33 on the rod 34. Spaced apart from the "member 31 on the block 29 is a thread guidingpin 35.

The machine has a vertical shaft 36 to which is secured a feed disc 37. The shaft 36 is rotated in increments intermittently in any suitable manner, for example, by the means shown in said application Serial No. 18,255 now Patent No. 2,603,173, July 15, 1952. Since this forms no part of the present invention it is not deemed necessary to describe the feed mechanism in detail. The

lengths of the feed increments may be adjusted by means of the plunger lever 38, and the bifurcated yoke 63 forms part of the feed mechanism, and this is oscillated by an eccentric 64 secured on the shaft 21.

Cooperating with the feed disc 37 is a pressure roller 40 which is carried on a shaft 39 supported in a clamp boss 41 carried on a depending arm 42. The depending arm has a vertical shaft 43 which extends into a vertical hole formed in a split boss 44 and is clamped therein by means of cap screws 45. The split boss has secured thereto in spaced relation to each other parallel shafts 46 and 47 which are reciprocally carried in'alignedbear ing holes 48 and 49 respectively, formed in the walls 13 and 14. Joining the shafts 46 and 47 within the casing 10 is a vertical shaft 50.

A bell crank 51 is journaled on a cross shaft 52 in the casing 10, and it has a bifurcated vertical arm 53, the upper extremity of which straddles the vertical shaft 50. The bell crank has a horizontal arm 54 with a hole 55 near its extremity to which a chain 56 is attached.

' This chain may extend downwardly to a foot pedal (not shown) below a table or support upon which the machine is mounted. The bell crank also has a depending arm 57 with a hook 58 on its lower extremity to which one end of a spring 59 is secured. The other end of the spring '59 carries a nut 62 which is engaged by a tensioning screw 60 mounted in the lower portion of the casing 10 and adjustable from the outside thereof by means of a slotted head 61. When a pull is exerted downwardly on the chain 56 the bell crank 51 is rotated in a counterclockwise direction, as seen in Figure 2, and thereby the parallel shafts 46 and 47 are moved toward the left, thereby disengaging the pressure roller 40 from the feed roller 37 so that the material to be sewn may be positioned between the feed roller and the pressure roller,

following which the bell crank is allowed to return to its normal position under the urge of the spring 59.

There have been many arrangements in the prior art for releasing the pressure roller from the feed roller, but in all of these arrangements, as far as I know, the pressure exerted on the horizontal shaft or shafts supporting the pressure roller has not been equalized. with the inevitable result that the shafts tend to cock in their bearings with a biting or locking action. With the new and improved arrangement shown and described herein the pull exerted to move the pressure roller out of engagement with the feed roller is equalized between the two shafts 46 and 47 and consquently smoother action is obtained.

Exhaustive tests have proved that with equalized pressure on said shafts, the wear on these shafts and their bearings is minimized.

Spanning the casing 10, near the upper end thereof. and fixed in the walls 11 and 12 is a shaft 65. Iournaled on this shaft between a collar 66 and an overhanging boss 67 on the wall 11, is an oscillating dog 68. The oscillating dog 68 has a depending portion 69 having a bearing hole 70 formed therein parallel to the shaft which supports the boss. Iournaled in the bearing hole is a stud shaft 71 which has an enlarged external head 72 formed integral therewith. Formed integral with the head 72 is a boss 73, and formed in the boss 73 and the head 72 is a bearing hole 74 in which one end 76 of the looper bar is reciprocally carried. The stud shaft 7] is secured in the oscillating dog 68 by means of a nut 77.

The oscillating dog 68 has a boss portion 78 upon which a driving dog 79 is adiustably secured. The driving dog has a split boss which fits on the boss portion 78 and has a bifurcated lug 80 throu h which a clamping screw 81 extends. For the screw 81 the upper bifurcation, as shown in Figure 6, has a clearance hole while the lower bifurcation has a tapped hole engaged by the threads of the screw 81 so that by means of the screw the driving dog may be set and locked on the boss 78 in any desired position. The driving dog 79 has an. arm 82 which is threaded to. accommodate a shouldered screW 83 which is locked therein by means of a lock nut 84. Iournaled on the shouldered screw 83 is a bearing formed in the upper end 85 of a connecting rod 86. The lower end 87 of the connecting rod 86 is mounted on an eccentric 88 secured on the shaft 21.

The shaft 21 also has secured thereon a hub 89 of a follow cam disc 90. Formed in the disc 90, as may be seen in Figure 4, is a follow cam groove 91 which is undercut in the usual manner to accommodate a ball to be presently described and is provided with an entrance port 92 for such ball.

A member 93 has a boss 94 formed thereon, and this boss has a bore 95 which fits the looper bar 75. The

boss has a slot 96 therein extending into the bore 95, and a clamping screw 97 passes through a clearance hole formed in the boss above the slot 96 and engages threaded holes formed in the boss below the slot 96 so that the member 93 may be fixedly secured on the looper bar 5 groove 91 via the entrance port 92. and as the shaft 21 1 is rotated, thereby rotating the follow cam, the looper bar 75 is rocked back and forth axially under the urge of the follow cam groove.

A plate member 100 has spaced elongated holes 101 and 102 extending therethrough in vertical alignment with one another, and extending through these holes and engaging tapped holes formed in a portion 14a of the front wall 14 are cap screws 103 and 104 respectively. each being provided with a washer 105. By means of these screws the member 100 may be adjusted vertically on the casing 10. The plate member has formed integral therewith a boss 106 which has a bearing hole 107 formed therein extending from the right to the left horizontally.

Forming a working fit in the bearing hole 107 is a stud shaft 108. The extreme end of the shaft 108, as seen in Figure 6, is reduced in diameter and threaded. A nut 109 engages the threaded portion and secures the shaft 108 in its bearing hole 107. Fixed on the right end of the stud shaft 108 is a lug 110 which has a threaded hole formed therein spaced apart from the shaft 108 and threadedly engaged by a threaded shank 111. Formed integral with the shank 111 is a ball member 112.

The looper bar 75 has an enlarged head portion 113 which, as may be seen in Figure 3, has a hemispherical seat 114 formed therein. The ball member 112 carrying the shank 111 is screwed into the tapped hole until the inner half of the ball sits on the hemispherical seat 114. After the ball member is screwed in as described, the shank 111 is locked in in any suitable manner, for ex ample, by means of a set screw 115. A spring member 116 is secured on the head portion 113 by means of a screw 117, and this spring carries a disc-like member 126 having a hollow seat which bears against the outer surface of the ball 112 and thus the seat 114 is urged into engagement with the inner surface of the ball.

The head portion 113 has a socket therein in axial alignment with the looper bar 75, and a looper 125 13 mounted in this socket and is secured therein, preferably by means of a set screw 124 of the Allen type. The looper 125 carries on its extremity a shoe-shaped member 123 which picks up the loop on one side of the bite and carries it over to the opposite side to a position for the needle to pass through the loop, as is customary in machines of this type. A stationary work guide 126 is secured in the frame wall 14 and has a curved portion which somewhat parallels the rim of the feed disc 37 for guiding the work. 0

The lug member 110 carries a threaded hole whlch is engaged by a shouldered screw 118 and thereby forms a wrist pin. A connecting rod 120 has a wrist pin bearing 119 engaging the shouldered screw 118, and it has an annular portion 121 which embraces an eccentric 122 which is secured on the main shaft 21.

As the shaft 21 is rotated in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Figure 2, the oscillating dog 68 swings about the shaft 65 as an axis, due to the eccentric movement imparted to it via the connecting rod 86 and the driving dog 79. This causes the bushing bearing 72, 73, which engages the rear end of the looper bar, to move back and forth, thereby elevating and lowering the rear end of the looper bar.

The lug 110, carried on the stud shaft 108, is rocked about the stud shaft 108 as an axis by means of the connecting rod 120 which is driven by the eccentric 122 secured on the shaft 21. Now, since the looper bar head 113 is connected to this lug via the ball 112 and the shank 111, the rocking of the lug 110 raises and lowers the end of the looper bar carrying the bead 113.

The mechanism for moving the looper bar rotative- 1y is, as described above, the ball 98 and the follow cam groove 91. However, the looper bar, while being swung up and down by the lug 110 and the ball 112 carried thereby, is also moved back and forth by this ball. This means that the ball 98, in addition to being moved in directions to rotate the looper bar 75, is also moved back and forth in the follow cam groove 91, and the combination of all of these movements causes the looper 125 to pick up the loop on one side of the bite, above the pressure disc 40, and carry the loop over on the other side of the bite, bring it to rest momentarily in a position for the needle to pass through the loop, and then to drop the loop and move quickly over to the firstmentioned side of the bite ready to pick up the next loop as it is formed.

In simple terms the looper bar 75 is driven by the ball 112 through its mating socket 114 so that the looper bar 75 and its head 113 is capable of being partially rotated on its own axis by ball 98 as well as following the arcuate movement imparted by ball 112 and its associated crank member 110.

In Figure 5 the looper bar, the oscillating dog 68 and its bushing 72, 73, the swinging lug 110 and the member 93 carrying the ball 98 (which ball is not seen in Figure 5, but is best seen in Figure 6), are all shown in solid lines at an intermediate position; they are shown in dot-dash lines in their extreme rearward positions: and they are shown in double dot-dash lines in their extreme forward positions. Thus, from Figure 5 the movement of the looper bar and the means for causing it to move in the manner described may be visualized.

From Figure 5 and Figures 3 and 4 it will be quite evident that the physical mass of the looper bar is substantially reduced, as compared to any other looper bars of the prior art. Thus, I have minimized the inertia forces to be accelerated and decelerated as the looper bar is moved, and therefore I am able to operate at higher speeds than heretofore attained with a minimum wear ,on .the moving parts.

Another important feature of the invention is the arrangement of the stud shaft 108 and the lug 110 .carried thereby with relation to the wrist pin connection (the shouldered screw 118) between it and the connecting rod 120, so that I eliminate all chances of a critical angle locking action at the shouldered screw 118 due to conditions resulting from high speed and inertia, for as the angular relation approaches the critical angle, the mass of the eccentric and of the connecting rod 120 moving toward the shouldered screw 118, it starts rapidly reducing the angle immediately after the shouldered screw 118 has moved to its maximum angular position.

Although I have herein shown and described by way of example a preferred form of my new and improved looper bar and mechanism for moving the same, it will be obvious that many changes may be made in the arrangements herein shown and described, within the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a machine of the overseaming type, a looper bar having a head on one end thereof, a socket formed in said head to receive a looper, means on said head for locking said looper in said socket, a swingable support for said bar adjacent to said head, a universal connection between said support and said head, a second swingable support for said bar adjacent to the opposite end thereof,'ball means carried by said bar intermediate said supports, a follow cam engaging said ball means for oscillating said .bar on its longitudinal axis, means for swinging said first support, means for swinging said second support, a shaft common to said follow cam and both said last means, and means to drive said shaft.

2. In a machine of the overseaming type, a casing, a looper bar in said casing, said looper bar having a head on one end thereof, a socket formed in said head to receive a looper, means to lock said looper in said socket, a cross shaft in said casing, an oscillating dog journaled on said shaft and having a bushing in a depending portion thereof with its axis 90 with respect to the axis of said shaft, one end of said looper bar being journaled in said bushing, a second oscillating dog supported in said casing adjacent to said head and having a swivel connection to the latter, a lug secured to said looper bar intermediate the ends thereof and carrying ball means, follow cam means engaging said ball and functioning to oscillate said bar on its longitudinal axis, a shaft journaled in said casing and secured to said follow cam means, means for swinging said oscillating dog and including one member carried by said shaft, means for swinging said second dog and including a second member on said shaft, said last-mentioned members being timed to differentially swing said dogs, and means to drive said shaft.

3. In a machine of the overseaming type, a looper bar carrying a looper, a swingable support for said bar adjacent to one end thereof, a second swingable support for said bar spaced apart from and on a different level from that of said first support, one of said swingable supports depending from its supporting shaft and the other projecting upwardly from its shaft, means for differentially swinging said supports, one of said means functioning to swing said bar and the other functioning to both swing and reciprocate said bar, a shaft in said machine carrying eccentrics, a connecting rod between said first means and one of said eccentrics, a second connecting rod between said second means and another of said eccentrics, and other means operatively connected to said bar between said supports and to a follow cam on said shaft for oscillating said bar on its longitudinal axis with the above-mentioned movements of said bar.

4. The invention according to claim 3, in which the level of one of said supports may be adjusted relative to the other for changing the pitch of said looper bar.

5. The invention according to claim 2, in which the angular relation between said first-mentioned dog and the means for swinging the same is settable.

6. In a machine of the overseaming type, a casing, a looper bar in said casing carrying a looper, a needle bar and means to reciprocate the same along a predetermined path, feed rollers for supporting and conveying the work past the needle path, spaced supports in said casing for said looper, and a combination of the following motions for causing the looper to move 1n a predeter- 6 mined path: mechanism for swinging the rear .end'of said looper bar, mechanism for both swinging and reciprocating said looper bar positioned in said casing in spaced relation to said first means, and means engaging said looper bar intermediate said first two means for oscillating said looper bar on its longitudinal axis in time with the other movements of said bar.

7. In a device of the character described, a combined swinging and reciprocating movement for a looper bar comprised of a dog swingable about an axis supported on a frame, means to oscillate said dog about said axis, a ball carried by said dog and positioned in a socket carried by said looper bar, and spring means carried by said looper bar and acting against said ball for retaining the latter in engagement with said socket.

8. In an overseaming machine,. a frame, stitching means on said frame, cooperative discs. for feeding the material being worked past said stitching means in steps, looper means dirigibly carried on said frame and solely supported by spaced supports in said frame, spaced apart eccentric means to move said supports di'fierentially, a shaft journaled in said frame and supporting said eccentrics, crank means for each eccentric, one of said crank means being operatively connected to one of said supports and the other crank means being operatively connected to the other of said supports, and other means including a follow cam on said shaft and a ball sup.- ported on said looper bar and engaged by a groove in said follow cam for oscillating said looper means about its axis in predetermined relation with said other movements thereof.

9. An overseaming machine according to claim 8, wherein one of said supports comprises a swingable lug which carries a second ball engaged by a socket formed in the looper bar, whereby said lug moves'along a predetermined path to impart both a swinging motion and a reciprocal motion to said looper means.

10. In a machine of the overseaming type, a casing, a looper bar in said casing, said looper bar having a head on one end thereof, a socket formed in said head to receive a looper, means to lock said looper in said socket, a cross shaft in said casing, an oscillating dog carried on said shaft and having a portion thereof extending downwardly, a bushing in the lower portion of said dog with its axis disposed with respect to the axis of said shaft, one end of said looper bar being journaled in said bushing, a second oscillating dog supported in said casing and having a portion extending upwardly to a point adjacent to said head and having a swivel connection to the latter, a big secured to said looper bar intermediate the ends thereof and carrying ball means, follow cam means engaging said ball means and functioning to oscillate said bar on its longitudinal axis, a shaft journaled in said casing and secured to said follow cam means, means for swinging said oscillating dog and including one member carried by said shaft, means for swinging said second dog and including a second member on said shaft, said last-mentioned members being timed to diiferentially swing said dogs, and means to drive said shaft.

11. In a machine of the overseaming type, a looper bar solely supported in said machine by spaced independent supports, one of which includes a depending swingable yoke; and a swivel connection between at least one of said supports and said bar comprised of av ball, a mating socket for said ball, a member having a depresson therein engaging said ball opposite to said socket, and spring means constantly urging said memher into such engagement and consequently compensating for wear between said ball and said socket.

12. In a machine of the overseaming type, a looper bar, a swingable support for said bar adjacent to one end thereof, a second swingable support for said bar comprising a lug spaced apart from said first support carrying a ball cooperating with a socket carried by said looper bar and functioning both to swing and reciprocate said bar, said ball having its center coinciding with the central axis of said looper bar whereby said ball and its mating socket functioning as both the forward bearing and as the driving means for swinging and reciprocating said bar as aforesaid.

13. In a machine of the overseaming type, a looper bar, a socket formed in one end of said bar to accom modate a looper, a swingable support for said bar adjacent to the other end thereof, a second support for said bar spaced apart from said first support, means for differentially swinging said supports, and means including a' swinging lug on said second support and a ball having a shank rigidly secured to said swinging lug, and a mating socket for said ball carried by said bar and functioning to oscillate said bar on its longitudinal axis in time with the swinging movements of said bar, the center of said ball lying on the central axis of said bar at all times.

14. In a machine of the overseaming type, a looper bar having a head on one end thereof, a socket formed in said head to receive a looper, a swinging lug for said bar adjacent to said head, said support extending upwardly from the axis about which it swings, a swivel connection between said support and said head comprised of a ball carried by said support operatively engaged with a socket formed in said head, the center of said ball lying on the axis of said looper bar, a second swingable support for said bar adjacent to the opposite end thereof, said second support extending downwardly from its axis, means for differentially swinging said supports, and means intermediate said supports and comprised of a ball carried by said looper bar and engaging the groove of a follow cam for oscillating said bar on its longitudinal axis in time with the other move ments imparted to said bar and said supports.

15. In a machine of the overseaming type, a looper bar carrying a looper, and three separate means operatively connected to said bar at points spaced apart from each other, one of said means being swingably supported in said machine, another of said means including a swingable lug journalcd in said machine and carrying a ball operatively connected to a ball socket formed in said bar, and a third means, intermediate the first two and rigidly connected to said arm and carrying a ball cooperating with the groove of a follow cam carried on a main shaft in said machine, and

means to operate all three of said means simultaneously, whereby said second means etfects the forward and backward movement of the looper bar, said third means efiects the oscillation of said looper bar and said first means effects up and down movements of the looper bar to cause it to properly pick up and drop the loop during each stitching stroke.

16. In a machine of the overseaming type, a looper bar carrying a looper, and three separate means operatively connected to said bar at points spaced apart from each other, one of said means being swingably supported in said machine, another of said means including a swingable lug journaled in said machine and carrying a first ball operatively connected to a ball socket formed in said bar, the center of said ball lying on the central axis of said looper bar at all times, and a third means, intermediate the first two rigidly connected to said arm and carrying a second ball cooperating with the groove of a follow cam carried on a main shaft in said machine, said first ball and socket functioning both as a forward bearing for the looper gar1 and as the means of driving said bar forward and ac i.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 514,874 Van Cauwenbergh Feb. 13, 1894 1,051,313 Dann et al. Jan. 21, 1913 1,201,084 Onderdonk Oct. 10, 1916 1,715,369 Kohler June 4, 1929 1,745,152 Corrall et al. Jan. 28, 1930 1,837,917 Muller Dec. 22, 1931 2,448,774 Cook Sept. 7, 1948 2,502,387 Hacklander Mar. 28, 1950 

